Three lose lives in two accidents around Cape Vars

Cape Coast, Feb. 16, GNA - Three people lost their lives, in two separate freak accidents, involving two articulated trucks and two saloon cars, along the University of Cape Coast's (UCC) east and west gates on Thursday 12 and Saturday 14 February.

In the first accident, which happened on Thursday at the east gate junction, at about 1500 hours, a DAF flat body articulated truck with registration number AS 4129 Y, loaded with empty bottles and travelling from Takoradi to Kumasi, on reaching the junction adjoining the University new site, run into a ford saloon car, which had stopped to observe traffic to the left to branch to UCC.

According to ASP Frederick Asare Mensah, the second in command at the Central Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU,) who briefed the GNA, the truck dragged the saloon car from a distance and they both fell into a ditch causing extensive damage and seriously injuring the three occupants of the saloon car, who were rushed to the Central Regional Hospital, where one was referred to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital but died on admission. The driver of the truck, Kyeki Issah has be en placed in police custody pending further investigations into the accident. In the second accident, which occurred on the night of St Valentine's Day at about 1930 hrs, a man who was driving his family, died instantly while five others including his wife and a baby, sustained various degrees of injuries. They were rushed to the Central Regional Hospital where his 10-year old son also died on admission.

The accident occurred when a MAN Diesel flat body articulated truck with registration number GN 1482 Z, travelling from Takoradi to Accra, being driven by Solomon Kwasi Korley, veered off its lane in an attempt to avoid running into a taxi cab that had crossed it, and run into an on-coming saloon car with registration number AS 2432 X at the West gate of the University.

ASP Asare Mensah said the mother, baby and another girl were in the intensive care unit of the hospital, while a seven year old girl of the family had been referred to Korle Bu and was responding to treatment. He appealed to the Ghana Highways Authority to as a matter of urgency; decorate with reflectors, the numerous pavements along the East and particularly the West gates, to help curb avoidable accidents in the night.

ASP Asare Mensah also advised drivers to avoid over-speeding and overtaking especially on reaching towns and junctions, and charged drivers of bigger vehicles to respect other road users. He expressed the hope that in future the bigger vehicles would have different routes to help avoid some of such accidents. On wrecked vehicles that have been left on the shoulders of the roads in the metropolis, the commander said, the Unit had no towing vehicle and appealed to the authorities to make it a priority to provide it with one to enable the Unit to clear the roads of such wreckages.